10 Tips to Minimize and Maximize Your College Wardrobe

Since my freshman year of college, I have discovered how to simplify my wardrobe. My greatest take-away is that in order to have a well-rounded closet, you don’t need to buy more clothes, but instead, understand how minimizing your wardrobe actually maximizes your clothing options and closet space.

I have realized that by bringing only the clothes that I love and need to college, I will have a greater variety of outfits. By using styling tricks like choosing similar color pallets, I have gained a greater sense of my personal style. Since I’ve minimized my wardrobe, I have learned how to dress and shop more wisely as a college student.

Below, I detail how I decide what clothes to bring with me to college and tricks to help you pack clothing and maximize your closet space.

Survey your closet and separate the clothes you wear most often from the clothes you don’t like as much or don’t wear often. Don’t bring the clothes you know you won’t wear. There’s no reason to waste your limited closet space!

Then, divide the clothes you wear into the seasonal categories — winter, summer and fall. Bring mostly clothes that overlap into multiple seasons, except for the heavy winter clothes you know you will need.

Bring only a few of your favorite summer clothes because you are starting school at the end of summer and finishing at the beginning of summer.

Bring clothes of similar color pallets, so that you can easily mix and match what you have and create new outfits. As a college student, you want to make your wardrobe versatile. Solid/monochromatic bases and patterned/colorful accents makes mixing and matching easier and increases your options with fewer items to choose from.

Ask yourself if there is anything lacking in your wardrobe you will need in college. Make a list. Do you need a lighter jacket? Another cardigan?

Shop for what you don’t have and know you will need. Try on the clothes and decide if you love them before purchasing.

Bring a hanger for every item hanging in your dorm closet. Have a few spare hangers just in case. By limiting the amount of hangers in your closet, you are maximizing the space.

When storing clothes in your dresser, roll them instead of folding to increase the space.

When you pack to go home for your breaks, bring with you a couple clothes that you know you won’t wear or are out of season. It will make moving out at the end of the year so much easier.

If you’re cleaning out your closet during the semester or at the end of the year, give the clothes you don’t wear to your friends or place them in the college’s Swap Shop or a nearby thrift store. That way, you won’t have to bring them back home with you.

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About Sarah Dunlap

I am a Pittsburgh native and an English major and Communications minor at Nyack College Rockland Campus. I am a devoted dancer, avid reader, and an aspiring writer.
"Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences."
- Sylvia Plath